The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-10-26
A REMARKABLE OPERATION.
Chicago Physicians Save Man who "
Shot in the Stomach

chicago Physicians Save Man who Was
Shot in the Stomach.
Chicago Inter Ocean,
Dr.; Chas B. Nanerede. Of Philadelphia, re.
Gently read n paper before the American Med
lcal Association, in WHICH. referring to gun
shot wounds of the abdomen. he said:
When yisceral wounds do undoubtedly
exist the tendency is invariably toward
The. first case on record west of New York.
and directly in contradiction to the theory OF
Dr. Nancrsde, is now In ward 8 Ut the C0un-
ty Hospital. Surgical service in this case
saved two iyes--that of the victim and his
HIte assailant.. On Aug. 20 Geo, W
was announced by the police and surgeons at
the time, fatally wounded by his wife during
q drunken brawl. Scott was taken to the
County Hospital He was taken into the
summoned. With them came the attending
surgeon, whose name. at his own request, is
suppressed. So a.
The histor- Of the case as relating to its
M proved t t. Be- lis Nf s S's Stood d
rectly in front Of him, about fifteen feet dis
tant The gun-shot wound was inflicted by q
3S-ca!iber bullet. He Immediately fell and
was conveyed, AZ stated, to the county hos
physician was summoned, who very injti-
diciously probed for the, bullet. procedure
winch modern surgeons never resort to in
bullet wounds OF the. abdomen. The exami-
nation by the attending surgeon revealed the
level with the ninth rib and an inch internal
to, the chest wall. The patient was
etherized and tho stricsest antiseptic.
precautions taken. during the ensu-
heroic nature; The wound of entrance being
SO far from the median line, the operator
thought tina! an incision exposing the track
OF the bullet, would enable him the more
readily 1!a.t ny f2 make more thorough examina-
pairing, it possible, the damage wrought
Taking his lance in hand, the surgeon pro-
ceeded very cautiousl, to divide the tissues
OF the abdominal wall from the point of en-
for four inches. Layer after layer Of muscu
lar and connective tissue WIS carefully cut
throu"h until the membranous lining of the
abdominal cavity was reuched: After adj
hemorrhage from cut surfaces had been got
yided, and the contents. Of the abdomen laid
bare and exposed to view. The abdominal
vIscera or organs were now examined
>, 1t was discovered that the bullet had taken
the following course. After perforating the
abdominal wall ss before described, the bull
let passed ,thron., the lower margin Of the
liver, On through the large intestine at the
upper conpexity of the point where it turns
from an upward to n transverse direction.
wapd WIS and doW
back. The injury to the liver did not require
any attention, and in this connection curl
ols physical phenomenon was discovered.
Inc bullet entering ones body at the point it
did in Scotts case could not, under ordinary
circumstances, touch the liver. But in his
case-two shots having been fired at him
that organ was. pressed downward from
physical excltstion to rnhge within the
scope OF the bullet AS Scott's wife fired the
frat shot. the inference is that 50 great was
his perturbation thai his liver literally fell
out OF place and made the lesion Of that or
gan possible. But the injury to that organ
was of SO slight . nature that it was not
deemed necessary to treat it. The wound to
the colon, Or big intestine. consisted of q
and exit being Very close together and and
separated only by narrow strip Of tissue.
This wound, heretofore fatal in most cases,
was treated as follows: The strip sepa-
rating the point of entrance, and
catgut s,,tlres were then brought into rrqui-
sltlon,; and by the most delicate manipula-
ton the muscular and mucous surfaces we're
appropriated, the mucous surfaces being
inverted. Another catgut suture VAS now
surface. This completed the, treatment of
the intestinal wound. Che abdominal cavity
was then cleansed OF blood and particles of
nndigested food. Tho abdominal wall was
next sutured in the usual way. the peritoneal
surfaces, by continuous catgnt sus,ires. the
fetal interrupted silk stitches. The. regular
antiscptic dressing was applied, and the pa
tent put to bed.
The entire operation consumed little less
than an hour, and is undoubtediy. one of the
most remarkable in the history OF advanced
surgery. The patient has since displayed but
one untOward symptonl--yomiting- this
may have been due solely TO alcoholism.